


The Crow and the Butterfly

by moonlightoath (ignite_pass_tetsuya)



Category: Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Mentions of Death
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-28
Updated: 2020-09-19
Packaged: 2021-03-06 08:00:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,422
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25579975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ignite_pass_tetsuya/pseuds/moonlightoath
Summary: Arashi Narukami has learned to be content with the new direction her life has taken after her decision to leave the modeling world for good. She has a stable job, wonderful friends, and of course, Nyanko to keep her company. With such a happy life, she's certain that she doesn't need anything else... but maybe carving space in her heart for one more person won't hurt.If she's lucky, he might even teach her how to love again.
Relationships: Kagehira Mika/Narukami Arashi
Comments: 8
Kudos: 39





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Somehow Mika and Arashi got me to write fic for the first time in 5 years, so here we are!
> 
> A few things I wanted to note:
> 
> -Yes, the title is from that really good Shinedown song. It fits Mika and Arashi extraordinarily well.  
> -I'm borrowing heavily from canon for many aspects, but the big difference is that none of them are idols here.  
> -I do not have every piece of this story planned out yet, so tags/rating will be updated as needed.  
> -Mentions of death start from the very first chapter and are about Kuro's mother. Nothing graphic.  
> -Finally and most importantly, a huge thank you to my wonderful friend Alle (Twitter: [@eienseiriron](https://twitter.com/eienseiriron) / Ao3: [silverskys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverskys/pseuds/silverskys)) for betaing this chapter for me and to my other dear friends who read over it for me as well. I treasure you all. ♡

Arashi watches as the signal changes, looks both ways to be safe, then hastily crosses the busy stretch of road on her way to open up the fabric shop where she works. If someone had asked her two years ago if she would ever be caught dead on opening shifts, she probably would have laughed and said something about needing her beauty sleep. It’s funny how time changes even the most stubborn people in all sorts of ways.

Don’t get her wrong; she still takes the time to do her beauty routine every morning. Her standards for herself haven’t lowered, after all. She’d even argue that she’s raised them.

These days, she finds she doesn’t mind early mornings at all. In fact, she’s actually come to like them. Though the city is always a kaleidoscope of colors and sounds with its speeding cars and blaring horns, there’s something about the early morning atmosphere that appeals to her. The late spring air is cooler and calm instead of saturated with heat and humidity. As she walks around a corner, the lingering smell of freshly baked bread from a small, family-owned store accompanies her, just like every opening morning. Maybe the sense of contentment also comes from the chance to be alone with her thoughts and the soft music coming through her ear buds. That thought surprises her, since being alone used to be her worst fear.

Now it’s something like a blessing.

She unclips her keyring from her bag as she walks up the small incline to Akatsuki’s door. Her various charms clack together in a cacophony of metal and plastic - mostly presents from Izumi, though he’ll vehemently deny it if asked. It’s easy to immediately find which key is the correct one; the intricate, old-fashioned bronze key is much larger than any of the others she has. Kuro never could bring himself to change the locks. He likes the aesthetic too much, he says. Arashi likes it, too.

The inside of the shop is always dark in the mornings. The sun rises from the back of the building, so the reds, oranges, and yellows splashed against the walls are shrouded in shadow. It’s a shame, really, she thinks. Kuro spent weeks hand-painting the stems on each detailed leaf and carefully laid each blade of grass along the baseboards around the entire perimeter to paint the perfect picture of autumn. The artificial lights from overhead don’t do his work any of the justice it deserves. Regardless, Kuro has never once complained about it, simply happy to have finished what his mother had started.

The building itself has a simple square layout. A wide support beam sits in the center of the shop behind the register, painted to look like the trunk of a tree. Shelves line every wall, each one filled with bolts of fabric neatly arranged by color. Stands full of ribbon, beads, buttons, and thread split the aisles in two. A wood carving of the shop’s logo hangs from the support beam, clearly visible to any passers-by through the thick floor-to-ceiling windows that make up the shop’s front wall. The carving was apparently a gift from a friend of Kuro’s mother, and it makes a beautiful addition to the structure. 

Arashi flips on the lights as she walks to the back room to drop off her bag and grab her uniform apron from its hook. Her name tag is newly adorned with the second of two small star stickers, one to mark each year she’s been working there. Naturally, they’re colored in red and gold to match the shop’s theme. Arashi has told Kuro over and over again that it isn’t necessary, but he always insists on even small acts of celebration. The truth is, she just doesn’t think she can ever properly express to him how truly happy it makes her to feel appreciated like that.

She switches to a new playlist and slips her phone into her apron pocket as she goes through the routine of opening the shop. The upbeat pop music is exactly what she needs to get herself going, like cogs slipping into place. She turns on the register, counts the drawer, returns any loose bolts of fabric to their proper places on the shelves, and wipes down the counters. With nobody else around, she isn’t embarrassed to sing softly to herself and swing her hips to the beat of the music. Her friends tell her often that her voice is lovely, but she can’t bring herself to sing in front of anyone else anymore.

She’s putting the cleaning supplies away under the counter when she hears the familiar squeaking of wooden steps from the back of the shop, loud enough to be heard over her music. Kuro emerges from the staircase and runs a hand back through his two-toned hair.

“‘Morning, Narukami,” he says, giving her a small smile and a wave. “Thanks for coming in today. Sorry to steal your day off. I don’t like making a habit of that.”

Arashi removes her earbuds and lets them dangle around her neck. “Good morning, Kiryu-san! I already told you it isn’t a problem at all.” She taps her chin with one perfectly-manicured finger. “Though I guess if you really want to apologize to someone, you can talk to Nyanko. She’s probably upset I’m missing our girls’ day.”

Kuro’s warm laugh fills the small shop, and it makes Arashi smile, too. “Tell her that I’ll make it up to her later,” he says, pulling a bolt of black fabric from the shelves.

Arashi hides a giggle behind her hand. “She’ll hold you to that, you know~!” Truth be told, Kuro spoils Nyanko nearly as much as Arashi does.

“Does she have a preference? Toys or treats?”

“Oh, definitely treats.” Arashi leans over the counter and rests her head in her palm. “Unfortunately, she’s a typical cat and would much rather swat around all my hair ties and get them lost to the void under the couch than play with any toys that are actually _made_ for her.”

Kuro unrolls the bolt and spreads it across his work table, carefully measuring out a few yards of fabric. “I’ll throw in a package of hair ties with the treats, then.” He makes direct eye contact with Arashi and winks for good measure. 

Arashi’s eyes widen, and she straightens up, hands on hips and putting every ounce of sass possible into her next words. “Excuse me, but are you _trying_ to steal my cat?”

Kuro looks to the ceiling and pretends to think about it. “Well, she is pretty cute…”

“I know, and that’s why I’m never giving her up~” She softens up her expression again and tries to sound casual as she leans back against the counter. “I’m sure she’d love it if you visited, though. It’s been a while.”

“Tell me about it,” Kuro says, rubbing the back of his neck. Like a switch had been flipped, Arashi can suddenly see every line of stress and tension he’s holding in his body and she has to look away. She hides her hands behind her back and picks at her cuticles. “Sorry… I didn’t mean to… well…” She mentally berates herself for speaking without thinking.

Nothing has been easy for Kuro or his family since his mother passed, and catching up on the mountain of work she’d had lined up before her passing is still taking a toll on all of them years later. Nobody had realized just how gracefully and effortlessly she handled all of her duties until they unexpectedly fell to others. As the only other member of the family with enough sewing knowledge and experience to complete projects and commissions, the brunt of the work had fallen to him.

Kuro looks to the ceiling for one pained moment, takes a deep breath in, and lets it out slowly through his nose. “It’s really okay, Arashi,” he says softly. “I don’t think it’s going to stop hurting for a long time. I miss her, but I promise that you don’t have to tiptoe around me. I’d rather have reasons to remember her, anyway.” He smiles at her, completely genuine. “And stop picking at your nails; I know how much you’ll hate it later,” he adds, teasing.

Arashi doesn’t know what to say to that, so she simply nods once and decides to leave it alone. She’s not quite as good at putting up a front as she used to be, and she doesn’t want her mouth to back her even further into a corner. She distracts herself with reorganizing a stand of pre-packaged buttons near the counter, making sure color families are all together again - blue with blue, pink with pink, and white with white. It gets her to stop ruining her nails, at least.

She walks over to Kuro’s work table when she’s certain she can look him in the eyes without hesitation again. Everything around him is meticulously organized as usual - yet another one of his mother’s influences, Arashi knows. When she'd asked about it, he had laughed and said he didn't appreciate how nice it was to be organized until he got repeatedly poked by stray pins caught in whatever fabric he was working with.

The piece he’s working on looks like the very picture of elegance. There’s a dress form standing just behind his elbow that has a nearly-completed ball gown over it. The fabric is a deep emerald green and the bodice is covered in graceful curls of gold crystals in varying sizes. Arashi fights down a flare of jealousy thinking about how stunning the recipient will look. Could she have had her own Cinderella moment if she hadn’t left the modeling world?

She clears her throat gently. “I assume that’s a commission…?” she hedges. She doesn’t want to distract him, but she _needs_ to talk to fill the silence before it suffocates her.

“Yeah, the commissioner is coming by tomorrow afternoon to pick it up, so I need to finish it today. It’s why I asked you to come in… I still have to finish this shawl and add the crystals to match the dress. I knew I wouldn’t be able to get it done properly if I was trying to run the shop by myself. So I really appreciate that you came in, since it took a lot of stress off my shoulders.”

Arashi perks up a little at his words and some light returns to her eyes. “Anytime, Kiryu-san. You know that.” The pressing weight on her chest eases, since she can see for sure that Kuro isn't upset. "Good luck," she adds, returning to the counter to let him work. 

Though the first hour or so after opening is always quiet, customers eventually start to file in and out of the shop at a pretty steady pace. Some are only there to browse, some know exactly what they’re looking for and are ready to check out within minutes, and still others walk up to Kuro’s work table to ask him for advice on various projects. Arashi often overhears customers talk fondly of Kuro’s mother, since she had a reputation for happily offering help and suggestions to anyone who asked. Kuro prides himself on offering the same level of service and can always be found down in the shop, even when he’s swamped with commissions or working on personal projects.

It had taken time for Kuro’s reputation to blossom once he’d taken over the shop. After his mother passed, some of their regulars stopped coming by for a time, assuming that the high level of quality and professionalism Akatsuki was known for couldn’t be maintained without her around. Some even gossiped that his family would abandon the shop or sell it off without a second thought. Kuro had taken personal offense to that and fought tooth and nail to maintain the shop, as well as the standards his mother held. If they had thought that low of him, then they certainly didn’t know the same Kuro that Arashi does.

When a break in traffic finally hits around the lunch hour, Kuro stands up from his work table and stretches, loosening up stiff muscles. “Hey, Narukami,” he calls as he walks back to the squeaking staircase. “I’m gonna go upstairs for a bit and grab some food. I’ll be quick. I’m sure you’re ready for your break, too.”

“Take your time!” she answers. “I’ve got plenty to keep me busy for now.” There’s never really an end to bolts of fabric that need to be reshelved, after all. She swears they multiply like rabbits the second her back is turned.

As if summoned, the bell above the door rings again.

“Welcome!” Arashi calls, looking over her shoulder. She’s caught off guard when she doesn’t see anyone at the door. 

She walks around the counter and finds the mystery customer standing before a shelf stuffed with various shades of red fabric. He’s got a sticky note in his hand, and he looks like a bobblehead as he stares at the note, then up at the shelves, then down at the note again. She stifles a giggle - laughing at customers is rude, after all. She can’t see his face, but she can feel an aura of stubborn determination rolling off of him that says he wants to try doing things on his own. 

With all the bolts reshelved, there are no other pressing shop maintenance matters for her to attend to. She briefly contemplates sweeping the floors, but dismisses the idea thinking about how quickly they’d be dirtied again by the afternoon crowd. She slides her phone out of her apron's pocket and skims through her text messages. There are a few from Izumi, but they aren’t urgent, so she makes a mental note to answer them later. As she opens Twitter, she hears a soft groan of frustration from around the corner and, well, that’s an opening if she’s ever heard one. She puts her phone away, brushes a piece of hair out of her eye, puts on a smile, and walks around the corner. 

“Can I help you with anything, si-- oh!” She doesn’t mean to startle him, but the man jumps at the sound of her voice and makes her do the same. Looking at his face now, she can see a strip of scrap fabric is tied loosely around his head and is covering one of his eyes. He almost looks like some kind of pirate, complete with dark, messy, wind-tousled hair.

The man turns away again quickly. “Mmm, no thank ya, I know where t’ find what I’m lookin’ for.” His nervous mumbling is hard to understand.

“Ah, alright, then I won’t bother you. If you do need help with anything though, my name is Arashi. Please don’t hesitate to call me over if you need.”

The man nods once, pulling samples of fabric to compare. “Thank ya kindly, sir.”

Arashi doesn’t flinch then, no matter how badly she wants to. With her best customer service smile and a wave, she returns to her post behind the counter and waits for the customer to make his decision.

She can escape to the back room for her lunch break soon.

* * *

“An interesting customer came into the shop today,” Arashi says, casually chatting with her cat while she puts the finishing touches on her curry for dinner. “He was very quiet -- I honestly don’t think I would’ve heard him come into the shop at all if it weren’t for the bell above the door -- but he had one of his eyes covered, and he wouldn’t look my way at all… What do you make of that, huh, Nyanko?”

The cat lifts her head from her own food bowl, as if she knows she’s being asked a question, but gives no reply other than to tilt her head to the side a bit with a slow blink before resuming her dinner.

“Yeah, I’m not sure either,” Arashi replies anyway. “I’m pretty hard to ignore, after all. I wonder if he had, like, surgery or something, you know? I don’t want to pry if he happens to stop by again, but my curiosity gets the best of me at times…”

Nyanko finishes the last few bites of her dinner, stretching before walking across the small kitchen to twine herself around her owner’s legs. Demanding attention is only one of the traits Arashi and her cat have in common.

“Yes, yes, I’m almost done, sweetheart. Then we can cuddle on the couch and watch a movie or something, okay?”

Arashi brings her plate to the living room and grabs the remote to the TV, turning it on and flipping through channels to find something for them to watch. Nyanko jumps up on the couch immediately after her, curling up at Arashi’s hip and resting her head on her paws while she waits for her owner to settle. She scrolls through channels and channels of news stations, variety shows, and other typical evening programs that she never really cares for. Variety programs are especially touchy; she doesn’t enjoy how they have a habit of fishing for laughter at the expense of others. She’s finally able to find a random live-action romantic drama and relaxes into the cushions.

“Thanks for your patience, Nyanko,” she says, giving the cat a few scratches behind her ears. Nyanko immediately begins to purr, and the gentle vibrations against her leg make Arashi smile fondly.

The movie itself is nothing to write home about. An overused plot line with an incredibly predictable, cheesy ending means Arashi spends more time scrolling mindlessly through social media on her phone between bites of curry than paying attention. When the movie ends, she turns on Netflix instead, hoping to find something more entertaining and exciting than a simple “boy meets girl, they confess, they kiss, the end” scenario.

Her ringtone catches her off guard and she startles for the second time that day. Nyanko’s head snaps up and she makes a small “ _mrrrp?_ ” sound, looking around in confusion. Arashi scratches behind her ears in apology. “Sorry, sweetie, that got me, too.” Her lips quirk up in a smug grin as she checks the caller ID before she answers.

“Why, if it isn’t my darling Shu-san!” she says, putting as much artificial cheer into her voice as possible. “You never call. What’s so important that you decided to grace me with your voice this fine evening?”

“Hush, Narukami,” he snaps. She can practically see him shaking his head, and she has to stifle a giggle behind her hand. “I simply need to confirm whether or not you’ll be in the shop tomorrow.”

“You know I will~” Arashi replies, running a hand gently down Nyanko’s back while she dozes again. “I’m there every Thursday.”

“Good. My assistant bought me the wrong fabric today and I need to stop by tomorrow to exchange it,” he says, sounding irritated.

Arashi’s hand pauses on Nyanko’s head. “Assistant? Since when do you trust literally anyone else with your designs anymore?”

Shu scoffs. “Since I’ve gotten too busy to do everything myself, that’s when.” Arashi can hear how painful it is for him to admit that. “And don’t be ridiculous. He’s just helping with odds and ends; he doesn’t make anything himself.” He pauses for a moment. “... At least not yet,” he mumbles, as if he doesn’t want to admit that, either.

“So you _are_ taking on a new apprentice! I’m happy for you, Shu.” Arashi is careful to make sure she sounds genuinely happy, because she is. She was starting to think he’d never be able to trust somebody in that capacity ever again.

“I wouldn’t call him that. He’s just an assistant for now. We’ll see if he manages to graduate to apprentice. He’s not off to a great start, that’s for sure.”

“Oh, _come on_ , Shu-san,” she groans, her hand resuming its path down Nyanko’s back. There’s no need to be so hard on the kid. How long has he been working with you, anyway?”

“Since Monday.”

“Then he’s still a total newbie!” Arashi laughs, voice colored with fond exasperated. She pinches the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. “If he’s _that_ new then you can’t expect perfection. You know this. Don’t be so mean that you scare him away before he even has a chance to prove himself, yeesh.” 

“Thank you for your input, Narukami, but I can handle things just fine.” He sighs again. “I have to go; I have a deadline rapidly approaching. I will see you tomorrow morning.” Shu doesn’t wait for a reply before hanging up.

“Well, and a good evening to you too,” she says anyway, voice laden with sarcasm. “What do you want to watch now, Nyanko? The night’s still young.” Nyanko gets up from her spot, stretches with a tall arch of her back, and climbs onto Arashi’s lap before curling back up to snoozing again. Arashi scritches the cat’s cheeks gently. Soft purrs are the only answer she gets to her question.

“In that case, I’ll pick again. I certainly don’t mind.” She grabs the remote once more and begins scrolling. 

* * *

The shop is completely empty when Shu arrives the next morning, a mere 10 minutes after opening.

“You’re as punctual as always, I see,” Arashi says, in lieu of her typical customer service greeting.

“Of course I am,” Shu barks, crossing his arms. A bag of fabric is hanging from his elbow. “I have a very busy day ahead of me and can’t afford to waste any more time.” 

“Right, right, I understand. Just tell me what you need to exchange and I’ll get you on your way.”

“Thank you.” He sets the bag on the counter, the bright, bold red easily visible through the plastic. I need this fabric exchanged for a darker red.”

Arashi walks to the shelves, quickly pulling bolts of fabric for Shu to look at and compare. “That’s all? You were gonna have the poor kid’s head on a stake because it’s not quite dark enough?” She smirks to make it clear she’s teasing him.

“You can’t mess with perfection, Narukami. This red is much too bright and clashes hideously with the gold trim I have already chosen for the design. A deeper, richer red will fit much better.” He quickly scans the bolts before pointing at the one on the far right. “This one is perfect.”

“I’ll take your word for it.” She knows by now that if she just agrees, there’s less of a chance that he’ll go on a rant that he surely doesn’t have the time for. “How many yards?”

“Five will be sufficient.”

“Coming right up!”

Arashi starts humming a song as she takes her time carefully measuring and cutting the fabric. She folds it neatly and sets it aside while she rings up the purchase.

“There’s no additional cost, of course, since you’re simply exchanging for a different color, but I still have to go through all the bells and whistles, so give me a minute.” She taps the register’s screen quickly and efficiently. 

“Of course.” A beat of silence, then, “Where’s Kiryu?”

“Still upstairs, hopefully sleeping.” Kuro had still been working on the dress commission when Arashi had closed up the shop yesterday, so she's sure he’s exhausted. “Did you need him for anything? I can pass along a message if you need.”

“Not at all. It’s odd to see his work table empty is all. I was simply wondering if he’s been slacking lately.” The fondness in his gaze as he looks toward the table contradicts his words completely. Arashi lets out a huff through her nose. Shu never does let his real emotions show, but she doesn’t call him out on it.

“By the way, what’s his name?” she asks. The register’s drawer pops open automatically, and she bumps it with her hip to shut it again.

Shu blinks at her. “Hm? Who?”

“Your new apprentice, of course, who else?” Arashi swaps the correct fabric for the incorrect color.

“I told you, he’s not my apprentice. He’s just an assistant.” Shu glares at her, but there’s no real heat in his eyes.

“Yes, yes, I’m sorry, your _assistant_. I still want to know his name.” Arashi holds out the bag for Shu.

Shu shakes his head as he takes the bag and loops his arm through it. “If you must know, it’s Mika. His name is Mika Kagehira.”

“Mika-chan… That’s lovely. I hope he’s a good fit for you. You know, for your sake,” she adds with a wink.

“Thank you for the kind words, Narukami. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I must be going.” He turns on his heel and walks quickly to the door, not bothering to wait for a reply as usual.

“Have a nice day!” she calls after him, the bell at the top of the door announcing his exit. She leans on the counter, resting her chin in her hand. “What on earth am I going to do with him?”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few things first:
> 
> -Thank you to those of you who left comments and kudos on the first chapter! I apologize for taking so long to reply to the comments; I haven't written in so long that I forget I need to come on here and check for them. ^^; I'll try to respond more promptly in the future!  
> -Unfortunately, these kinds of "long" spells between chapters will probably be common, since I work a full-time job and have other hobbies that I dedicate time to. Thank you for understanding. c:  
> -Once again, 1000 thank yous to Alle (Twt: [@eienseiriron](https://twitter.com/eienseiriron) | Ao3: [@silverskys](https://archiveofourown.org/users/silverskys/pseuds/silverskys)) for beta reading this chapter for me. ♡

The perk of working extra hours is the extra money in Arashi’s paycheck at the end of the week and, well, shopping can be an expensive hobby.

The train ride to the city proper is only a half an hour long. Arashi has her headphones in, tapping along to the notes of a rhythm game on her phone. There’s an in-game event happening and even though the spotlight characters aren’t her favorites, she can always use the extra point reward items to level up her cards.

When she steps off the train and puts her headphones away, she’s immediately reminded why she prefers to live on the outskirts where it’s quieter. The city never truly sleeps, and although she doesn’t find the ceaseless noise overwhelming per se, it’s hard to understand why anybody would _choose_ to live with it. 

That, and she happens to like the taste of fresh, clean air.

The coffee shop across the street from the station is one of her favorites. The baristas know her by name and have her order down to a science, so she’s a little sad to see a line of customers already snaking around the entire store. The baristas may be used to the rush, but Arashi will still feel guilty if she adds to the back of the line, so she starts to wander aimlessly around the city instead.

After all, the white noise of the city might not be so bad, but _people_ yelling about not getting their orders fast enough at the peak of the Saturday morning rush? No thank you.

Arashi window shops as she walks and makes mental notes of the places she might want to come back to. She passes a boutique with mannequins dressed in pastel crop tops and colorful patterned leggings, makeup stands advertising their peachy-pink summer lines of lip stain, and a small jewelry shop with some of the cutest flower earrings she’s ever seen. She’s already thinking about what pieces in her closet she could start pairing the earrings with.

At the end of the block, she finds a small, cozy-looking cafe. Arashi peers through the glass and sees floor-to-ceiling shelves full of books lining every wall, clearly part of the appeal of the place. In addition to the tables and chairs in the middle of the store, there are bean bags laid out around the perimeter for people to use while they read and sip their morning brew. Regardless, there are still customers seated with their laptops and tablets, mindlessly tapping away as they send emails and update spreadsheets.

A shock of perfectly-styled silver hair at a table toward the back makes her grin, and she pushes open the front door without a second thought, inhaling the scent of freshly ground coffee. She waves politely when one of the baristas calls out a greeting, but marches past the counter to playfully tug on one of the earbuds in Izumi’s ear.

Izumi slaps his hand over his ear, startled. His phone hits the table with a sound that’s much too loud for the cozy atmosphere. “What the fu--? Oh. It’s you.” His eyes narrow in an icy glare.

Arashi twirls the earbud around her finger and pouts at Izumi. “What do you mean ‘Oh, it’s you?' Is that any way to greet your friend?”

Izumi rolls his eyes to the ceiling hard enough that Arashi is certain they should pop out of his skull and start rolling across the floor. “Seriously? You greet me by ripping my headphone out of my ear and you’re nitpicking at _my_ response? God, you’re irritating.”

Arashi hands the earbud back and takes the seat across from Izumi with more elegance than is strictly necessary. She crosses her legs and bats her long eyelashes at him, radiating innocence from every pore. “Come now, Izumi-chan, you know you can’t stay mad at me.” He gives her a pointed look from across the table, but doesn’t respond. “What brings you here, anyway?”

“I have a shoot today. I was _trying_ to take some time to myself to relax before it starts.” He takes a slow sip of his drink, peering over the lid at her as he does. Arashi assumes it’s tea, knowing how careful Izumi is about his figure.

“Sounds like you’re still booked pretty solid.”

Izumi waves a hand dismissively. “Yeah, work has definitely picked up for me lately, even more so since you--” He cuts himself off abruptly, eyes widening with the realization that he may have just seriously fucked up. Neither of them speak for a few seconds, then Izumi sighs and says, “Sorry, Naru-kun, I didn’t mean--”

“I~zu~mi~chan~” she says, tapping the tip of his nose and making him flinch back. “It’s fine, I promise. It only makes sense that jobs I’m no longer around to take are picked up by others, and it’s no surprise that you’re one of the models that companies want.” She shrugs. “You’re pretty. You’re talented. You’re professional. You don’t have to avoid talking to me about modeling altogether, you know. Though I appreciate that you’re considering my feelings.”

“Yeah, well.” He messes with his still-perfect hair, trying to look busy and like he _isn’t_ mentally kicking himself for bringing up bad memories. “That was a real shitty thing that happened, so I wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t wanna ever talk about it again.” 

She smiles warmly at him. The truth is that her heart twists harshly in her chest every time she thinks about how she gave up her dream career, but there’s no way she’ll tell Izumi that. “I know it wasn’t easy for you, either,” she says softly. “I asked a lot of you, and even though it wasn’t fair of me, you never abandoned me. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for, Izumi-chan.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever, don’t mention it,” Izumi grumbles, sliding on his sunglasses to try to hide the blush threatening to spread across his face. “It’s not like I did anything special.”

“If you say so.” She drops the subject before she _actually_ pisses him off. “Any other big jobs coming up?”

Izumi slides his sunglasses down his nose and crosses his arms over his chest. “Mostly smaller shoots here and there. I do have a show in Okinawa in a few weeks, though. Some kind of ‘seaside summer fashion show’ or whatever they’re calling it. It sounds cool, but I can just _tell_ that the sea breeze is gonna screw with my hair the whole time and all the sand will be annoying as hell.”

“Ah, a seaside show~! That sounds like a lot of fun. But definitely better you than me for that one,” she says with a wink. “I just know I’d look like a lobster by the end of it.”

“You think I won’t? God, I’m gonna have to take so much sunscreen…” he groans, tipping his head to the ceiling.

Arashi laughs, warm and bright. “Good luck with that, Izumi-chan.” She checks the time on her phone and says, “Well, I’m glad I got to see you for a bit. I’m gonna grab a coffee and do some shopping.” She slides her phone back into her bag as she stands.

Izumi smirks at her as he gathers up his own belongings. “Of course you are. Well, have fun then. I’m off to my shoot.” He tosses his bag over his shoulder along with a wave. “Later, Naru-kun.”

“Bye, Izumi-chan!” she says, making her way to the counter to order an iced coffee for the road.

* * *

Arashi stops at the jewelry shop first, since it’s the closest. The earrings she’d noticed before are still there, so she snags them before anyone else can. The roses look to be well-made, delicate and detailed. The polished silver shines brightly in the lights of the shop. The centers are adorned with what look to be amethysts, which makes her absolutely giddy. They’re sure to bring out the color of her eyes beautifully if she can ever find an excuse to wear them. 

The makeup shop takes up more of her time than she’d planned. Arashi methodically tests new shades of lip color and blush together to find a combination that’s both pretty and subtle. She’s never been one for eyeshadow, but she does pick up new foundation and mascara while she’s there, too. The stuff she has is getting old. There aren’t quite as many reasons to wear them these days.

To her delight, it turns out that the boutique is full of treasures. It’s not often she can find a single place that caters to all of her varied tastes simultaneously. There are shopping bags hung near the entrance, and she begins to fill one with shirts, leggings, cardigans - whatever catches her eye - making up outfit combinations as she goes. One of the workers shows her to a dressing room when she asks, and she has to fight with her head and heart for a while before limiting herself to buying just three of the very best outfits she can make. 

The cashier makes small talk with her while ringing up her items, saying, “This top is so pretty, isn’t it?” She holds up a blush pink-colored top with a wide scoop neck, one of the first things Arashi had picked up. “It’s simple, but I think it could be paired with a lot of different outfits, you know?”

“Hmmm…” Arashi takes a step back, looking the cashier over with a trained eye. She’s clearly a natural beauty - the type of person who can make just about anything look good. “I think it would look great on you!” Arashi says honestly. “I agree with you about it being versatile, though. You could try pairing it with something like the white skirt hanging near the front? The one with the lace trim at the bottom? What do you think?”

The cashier blinks up at Arashi, caught off guard by her kind honesty. “Ah, I’ll try it out! Thank you for the suggestion.” She sighs and says dreamily, “I do love the pieces we carry, but sometimes I wish we were a big enough store to get other brands in here, like _fine_. I’ve had my eyes on a gorgeous sundress of theirs for ages, but even last season’s line is still way out of my price range, you know? Guess that’s what happens when your brand is world-famous.”

Arashi is suddenly rooted to the spot, ice clawing its way down her spine and spreading to her limbs at the mention of _fine_ ’s name. She’s never been more thankful for her training as a model giving her the ability to keep a straight face. She clears her throat gently, willing her voice not to crack. “I definitely understand. It can be really frustrating!” she says conversationally, keeping her tone light. She bids the cashier goodbye and makes sure her pace doesn’t look too close to a speed walk as she exits.

Shopping bags in hand, Arashi makes her way back to the train station, taking a deep breath when the doors close behind her in the car. There are lingering tendrils of tension constricting her muscles anyway. She can _feel_ a warm bubble bath calling her name.

She sighs, pulling her headphones back out and opening her game. She really liked that boutique, too. It’s a shame that she doesn’t know if she can ever make herself go back.

* * *

“I’m home, Nyanko!”

Arashi drops her bags off inside the door to unzip her boots. Nyanko immediately curls her tail around Arashi’s ankle, and Arashi picks her up, cuddling her to her chest and giving her forehead a small kiss. Nyanko touches the tip of her nose to Arashi’s as if she can sense her owner needs it. 

“You’re so good to me, sweetheart,” Arashi coos. She carries Nyanko to the kitchen and pulls a bag of cat treats from the cupboard, shaking a few into her palm. The kitten devours them immediately and purrs loudly in satisfaction. 

“Yeah, yeah, you’re spoiled,” Arashi laughs. She gathers up her shopping bags and takes them to her room to remove the tags and put them in the hamper to be washed. Nyanko watches quietly from her new perch on Arashi’s pillow until Arashi dangles one of the tags over her head, letting Nyanko bat at it playfully.

“See? It’s exactly like I told Kiryuu-san. You’ll play with just about anything that isn’t explicitly made for you.” She plays with Nyanko until the cat gets bored anyway.

She changes into her favorite comfortable lounge clothes - soft leggings, and a cream-colored sweater with a small cat embroidered on the chest pocket (yet another vehemently-denied gift from Izumi). Nyanko trots along behind her when Arashi heads to the living room to curl up under a blanket on the couch, promptly jumping into her lap when she’s settled. 

Arashi's phone rings before she even has a chance to turn on the TV. She raises an eyebrow when she sees Shu’s name yet again.

“Calling me twice in a single week, Shu-san? Are you sure you’re okay?”

“Narukami. I need a favor,” Shu says, ignoring her and cutting straight to the chase.

“Anything for you, Shu-san~” she sing-songs.

Shu sucks in a breath as if to brace himself. “I need you to fill in for a model in a few weeks,” he says quickly, getting it out before he can talk himself out of it.

Arashi physically _feels_ her heart miss a beat in her chest, and the off-beat rhythm has her struggling to take her next breath. “... Anything except that,” she amends, sighing. She wraps her arms around a throw pillow and hugs it to her chest, mindful of Nyanko dozing in her lap.

“I’m sorry. You know I wouldn’t ask this of you if I had any other choice,” he says, sounding increasingly desperate, yet genuinely remorseful.

“What about Izumi-chan? I can get you his contact info if you--”

“I tried him already. He’s out of town that weekend for a shoot.” Not surprising, based on the schedule Izumi had told her about earlier. “You’re… the only one left I can ask on such short notice.”

Arashi pinches the bridge of her nose, breathing deeply, willing herself to keep her emotions at bay. She doesn’t say anything. She can’t. The decision to step away from modeling only came after weeks of back and forth with herself and the people closest to her. Weighing the pros and cons. Convincing herself that it was okay to put herself first for once in her life. 

That what happened wasn’t her fault.

“If it’s any consolation… I know he won’t be there. He doesn’t have the right look for this campaign and wasn’t hired for this.”

“That doesn’t mean he can’t turn up somehow if he knows I’ll be there…” she whispers. “How soon do you need an answer?” she asks hesitantly.

“Preferably within the week. A different model means I’ll need to re-fit the clothes for you instead, and I will need time to make those adjustments properly.”

“I…” Her throat closes itself off before she can give an answer. She closes her eyes, rubbing her temple as she once again weighs the pros and cons in her head. On the one hand, the mere thought of walking the runway ever again makes her hands shake and her heart rate spike. On the other hand, there are few things she hates more than feeling like she let a friend down.

“I have conditions, if I’m going to even consider it,” she finally says. She’s proud of herself for keeping the shaking in her voice to a minimum.

“Of course. I’m in charge, so I can accommodate you easily.”

“Nothing… overly feminine. I can work with neutral and even more masculine-leaning if necessary, but…” She can feel her anxiety spiking as she speaks, a physical presence twisting itself up her spine and threatening to overtake her mind. “I know feminine styles are often my favorites, but Shu, I _can’t--”_

“Narukami.” One word, sharply spoken, and enough to cut off her panicked rambling before it can begin. “I refuse to make you uncomfortable. With everything that happened…” he cuts himself off. Digging even deeper into painful memories won’t help either of them. “I will make certain that you are taken care of. I promise.”

“... Okay,” Arashi whispers. She takes a deep breath, holds it in her chest, then lets it out again slowly. “I’ll have an answer for you by the end of the week.” She needs time to collect her thoughts. She knows she can trust Shu with her life, but nobody, not even he can truly save her if something happens in front of the crowd.

Nobody could before, anyway.

“I know how hard this is for you. I will repay you tenfold, somehow,” Shu promises, deadly serious. “I will forward you the details of the show for your consideration, as they may help you reach a decision. And Narukami?”

“Yes?”

He sighs heavily. “I’m sorry to even ask this of you. If I can find somebody else instead, I will let you know immediately.” 

Arashi shakes her head, even though Shu can’t see her. “Mmm. It’s okay, Shu. I know you wouldn’t do this unless you were backed into a corner. It’s not like you were unaffected by that whole thing either.” 

“Yes, well… It pains me to remind you of it at all. I bid you farewell.”

“Okay. Bye, Shu-san.” Arashi waits until the line goes dead, then lets her phone slip from her grasp and onto the couch below. She sets the throw pillow down next to her and flops over onto it, knocking Nyanko from her lap in the process. 

The cat meows at her, a little annoyed, before nudging her arm with her head until Arashi lets her cuddle up next to her chest. Nyanko starts to purr, and that’s the moment when Arashi can’t stop the tide of emotions any longer.

She wraps an arm around Nyanko and squeezes her eyes shut, falling into a fitful sleep as tears soak into the pillow beneath her head.

* * *

When a knock at the door rouses her, a glance at her phone tells her she’s been asleep for nearly two hours. 

Nyanko disappeared at some point during her impromptu nap. She had probably gotten too warm snuggled so close to Arashi and needed some breathing room. Arashi can’t blame her. 

Another series of knocks at the door, more insistent this time, finally pull her from the couch. Arashi _hates_ the thought of anyone seeing her when she isn’t put together, but she doesn’t really have time to fix her hair or pretend to look more awake. As she walks to the door, she runs her fingers through the back of her hair and sighs heavily when she can feel the product sticking it up in every direction. 

She unlocks the door and turns the knob slowly, opening the door just far enough to peek. “Yes?” Her voice cracks on the single word and she winces just a little.

“Hey, it’s just me.” Hearing Kuro’s voice douses her in enough relief that she could fall to the floor then and there. “Sorry to show up unannounced like this. I wasn’t originally planning to stop over or I would’ve checked with you first.”

Arashi swings the door open a bit further, shaking her head. “It’s not a problem, don’t worry about it. What brings you over though?”

Kuro holds up a plastic bag that’s covered in silhouettes of various animals. “I came to deliver on a promise,” he says, flashing his teeth in a wide grin. 

Arashi can’t help but giggle. “I see, you’re only here for my cat. I should’ve known.” She steps back to let Kuro inside and says, “I’ve already given her some treats today, but she won’t say no to more.”

“Ah, I’ll only give her a few, then.” He shakes the bag of treats, and Nyanko immediately appears from the vague direction of Arashi’s bedroom. She gives a little _mrrp_ when she sees their visitor and gazes up at Kuro with wide, blue eyes.

“Hey, sweet girl,” Kuro says, reaching out to pet her head gently. “I brought you a few things.” He shakes a few treats out into his palm and Nyanko has no problem with eating them straight from his hand. When she’s done, she purrs and nudges his hand for more head scratches.

“Well, now that you’re taken care of…” He picks up Nyanko and stands, looking Arashi directly in the eyes. “You look like you’ve had a shit day,” he tells her bluntly.

She doesn’t want to hold Kuro’s gaze, so she looks to the floor instead. “My day of relaxation didn’t go the way I planned, is all,” she says evasively. “Tomorrow will be better.”

“Mmm. Maybe, but it’s not _that_ late yet. I’m going to order us some takeout and then we’re going to sit around and watch a movie or whatever will help get your mind off of whatever happened. Deal?”

“Kiryuu-san, that’s…” _Not necessary_ , she wants to say, but Kuro just raises an eyebrow like he’s daring her to say no.

“It’s my treat, okay? You don’t have to tell me what happened but you can if you think it’ll help. What are you feeling tonight? Ramen? Sushi? All or none of the above?”

Arashi just shakes her head and continues to stare at the floor, her unkempt hair falling into her eyes. “Before any of that, can I just, um…” She’s known Kuro for years, _knows_ that he would never poke fun at her, but she still can’t bring herself to ask for a hug out loud.

Kuro seems to understand anyway, like he always does. He sets Nyanko down and walks over to stand right in front of Arashi, then wordlessly pulls her to his chest. He smells like the same woodsy cologne he’s worn as long as she’s known him, and the familiarity of it helps to soothe her mind quickly.

Kuro finally speaks up, and his voice is a warm rumble against her ear. “I know you only get like this when you’re reminded of what happened with your modeling stuff. That’s why I won’t force you to talk. If you want to, I’ll listen. I was your friend before I was your boss, remember?”

“I still consider you a friend first, you know,” Arashi says. Her voice is muffled against Kuro’s shoulder.

“I know you do; otherwise you wouldn’t have let me in when I showed up unannounced,” he laughs. “And that’s also why I’ve told you before that just ‘Kuro’ is fine when we’re not at work, remember?” He gives her shoulders a final, tight squeeze and lets her go. “Now come on, pick your favorite place and let’s get some food.”

* * *

True to his word, Kuro doesn’t pressure Arashi to talk about what happened earlier that day. She’s relieved when he instead talks to her about the most mundane things - shows and movies she’s seen recently, music recommendations, the one kind old woman who visits the shop every Monday around 10:30 AM like clockwork - and before she knows it, she feels lighter. 

She’s thankful that he ended up making his way to her today, since he’s one of the few people she can trust with just about anything.

Arashi pulls her knees to her chest, making her tall frame as small as she can. “I think, um… I should tell you what happened. I can’t really tell anyone else, anyway.” 

Kuro doesn’t say anything, but he slings an arm over the back of the couch and faces her, attention undivided.

“I guess there were two things, actually. When I was out shopping earlier, I went into a shop that I’d never been in before and found some things I liked. The cashier was nice and we were making small talk, but then she… said she wished they could get _fine_ in their store, and I completely clammed up.”

“Aaaah, I see,” Kuro says, brow furrowing.

“I feel like I should be _over_ all of that by now, you know? That whole thing with Shu and Eichi and me happened years ago, but I still just get so angry whenever I’m reminded of it like that.” She’s pouting as she rests her chin on her knees.

“I understand not wanting to let it affect you anymore. On the other hand, it’s also completely reasonable to still be pissed about it, you know? That whole charade cost you your dream.”

Arashi hides her face then, completely overwhelmed with the memory. Her emotions are on a roller coaster - anger, frustration, sadness, regret - and they won’t let her off again. She’s so tired of holding back and pretending she’s fine with the way things turned out, as if the decision to leave modeling was _honestly_ her choice. 

It was never truly hers, and that’s the worst part of all.

Arashi raises her head, knowing she won’t be able to get the next words out without crying. “Speaking of that… Shu-san called me earlier. He asked me to model for him again.”

“He _what_?” Kuro raises his voice in a rare fit of genuine anger. “Why the hell would he do that? He knows better than anyone else what happened!”

“Don’t be mad at him, please,” Arashi says, dabbing at the corners of her eyes with her sleeve. “He didn’t have another choice. He asked everybody else he could, including Izumi-chan, and I believe him. I was a last resort.”

“That doesn’t make it okay, Arashi! Not if it stresses you out this much!” Kuro slides his phone out of his pocket, mumbling under his breath. “I’m going to call him.”

“Wait!” She holds out a hand, stopping him, and he looks at her with the most pained expression she’s seen in a long time. _Why should I?_

Arashi shuffles over next to Kuro on the couch and lays her head on his shoulder. “I know you would go to the ends of the Earth for your friends… but I promise you don’t have to this time.” She dabs at her eyes again, and drops of muddled black from her mascara spread across her sleeve like watercolor. “It scares me because it’ll be my first time back. But I miss it so, so much, and I want to give it one last shot. For me. It feels like if I do this… even if I still decide not to model again after, then at least this time it’ll be my choice, you know?”

Kuro rubs her shoulder gently, comforting. He eventually sets his phone down on the arm of the couch and says, “Alright. I trust you to know what’s best for you. Shu may also be my friend, but I’ll still kick his ass for you if you need me to.”

That gets the first genuine laugh of the night out of Arashi. “I know you will,” she says through her giggles, sitting up straight and stretching her arms above her head. “I don’t know about you, but I could go for some dessert after all that heavy talk. Want any ice cream? I have some bars in the freezer.”

“I can’t turn that down,” Kuro replies. He busies himself with cleaning up their takeout containers from dinner, gathering them all in a bag that he ties off neatly. 

Arashi returns with two wrapped packages and hands one to Kuro before reclaiming her seat next to him on the couch. She lets out a little hum of happiness when she finally unwraps the bar and takes a bite, the chocolate shell on the outside breaking with a sharp ‘crack’.

“You got the good stuff,” Kuro says, brows raised. A piece of chocolate falls into his lap when he bites into his own ice cream, but he picks it up and pops it into his mouth anyway.

“These stupid things are a huge weakness of mine, but they’re _so_ bad for you,” she laughs. “But having one every once in a while doesn’t hurt anybody, now does it?”

“‘Everything in moderation,’ is it?” Kuro teases, parroting Arashi’s own motto back at her.

“Exactly, and I still stand by it today,” she says with a wink. Kuro just laughs in response.

They continue eating their ice cream in comfortable silence. Nyanko wanders back over and climbs into Kuro’s lap, sniffing curiously at what little is left of his dessert.

“Nyanko, you can’t just beg guests for their food like that. It’s rude,” Arashi remarks, though the comment ultimately goes unheeded as she paws at Kuro’s wrist. Ever the good sport, Kuro puts a small taste of ice cream on his finger and lets Nyanko lick at it.

“Spoiled rotten, aren’t you?” Arashi shakes her head, but her gaze is fond. 

“She’s gotta take advantage of me being here.” Kuro scratches Nyanko’s chin when she’s done. 

“Speak up if you want him to come over more often, sweetie. Now’s your chance!”

Almost immediately, Nyanko begins to purr, and neither Arashi nor Kuro can hold back their laughter. 

“That’s a request if I’ve ever heard one,” Arashi wheezes. “I can’t believe her timing on that.”

“All right, okay, I got it. I’ll try to show my face more often, ‘kay? Don’t get too comfy right now though, friend. It’s getting late so I’m gonna have to head home soon.”

Arashi stands and gently picks up Nyanko from Kuro’s lap. She lets out an annoyed sound, but settles again when Arashi scratches under her chin in Kuro’s place.

Kuro gets up from the couch and stands in front of Arashi, much like he had when he’d arrived. “Okay?” he asks.

“Yeah, I’m okay now,” Arashi answers honestly. “The call was terrifying, honestly, and I’ll probably be thinking about it a lot between now and then, but I think I can handle it. I promise I’ll let both you and Shu know if it’s too much. I have about a week to give him an answer anyway. Okay?” she asks in return.

“Okay,” Kuro confirms. “That’s all I can ask.” He grabs the trash bag and goes to the door to slip on his shoes, and Arashi follows to see him off.

“G’Night, Arashi,” he says with a wave. “See you at the shop on Monday. Bye, Nyanko. I’ll visit again soon, I promise.”

“You can’t break that now, you know~! See you Monday!” Arashi holds up one of Nyanko’s paws and waves it at Kuro as he closes the door. 

When she walks to the bathroom to wash off her makeup and start her nighttime skincare routine, she finds a small smile on her face as she looks in the mirror. Tear tracks cut jagged lines through her light foundation and her hair is in complete disarray, but she’s able to smile anyway knowing she has friends like Kuro supporting her. 

Facing her fears head-on is terrifying. Stepping back into the modeling world hadn’t seriously crossed her mind. Yet, she can’t help but feel confident that she can coax the spark of hope in her chest into a raging inferno that burns up every last bit of hesitation clinging to the back of her mind.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me on Twitter [@mezzo_fortay](https://twitter.com/mezzo_fortay)
> 
> .


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